President Poroshenko notes escalation of conflict in ATO zone

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko claimed that safety continues to be an issue in Donbas, he informed during a briefing in Berlin, aired by “112 Ukraine” TV channel.

“Our meeting is very symbolic. It symbolizes that de-escalation of conflict in eastern Ukraine is one of priorities for the EU, an issue constantly discussed in Brussels and Berlin. Much has been done to achieve peace in Donbas. I always emphasize that it is a tragedy that despite Minsk deals, so much time has passed, but we still have huge issues with safety in Donbas. First and foremost we should avoid these problems. Militants don’t keep to ceasefire regime. This threatens safety of civilians. In November-January we observed many violations of ceasefire regime by Russian-backed forces. They use prohibited weapons”, - stated Poroshenko.

Poroshenko also added that movement of OSCE mission is still restricted by militants.

“OSCE mission, which is there to monitor ceasefire regime, constantly faces restrictions from militants. The mission doesn’t get proper access to locations where withdrawal of weapons needs to be monitored. OSCE mission should visit territories still uncontrolled by Kyiv”, - stated the President.